Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-10-16
CURIOUS AND COSTLY CUSTOM
People with Gold Dust-How
Mexican Maideus Make a Mash"

Mexican Maidens Make "A MASH"
Many interesting stories could be told Of
the cascarone balls of the past, but only
one will be mentioned rs an instance Of
the popularity o. this peculiar feature OF
the balls. On one occasion, at a ball given
at the residence of Don Jose Abrego, Pete
Serrano, then a muehacho, was on hand
selling cascarones, A gentleman ap-
preached and asked what he would take
for his cascarones,
zone dollar a dozen" was the answer.
"Hor many nave you'' was the next
inquiry.
Forty dozen"
IAN right, I'll take them"
Taking the basket he started down the
hall. but had not taken a dozen steps when
he was surrounded by a number Of young
ladies, and in a nGment all hands were
diving into the oasket, coming out with
double han,.....Is and crashing them on his
head, while he manfully strove TO return
a few Of the compliments he received. In
five minutes not one of the forty dozen
cascarones remained whole.
The modus operandi Of cascarone max.
ing is very simple, and about as follow F.
Into an empty eggshell-whole, exception
an opening in one end just large enough
TO remove the original contents-is placed
about a ~teaspoonful Of finely chopped pa
per Of various bright colors and gold tin
sell; then the opening is neatly closed by
pasting a piece of colored paper over it,
and then the cascarone is all ready for use.
In Mexico, in the good old times, gold
dust mixed with diamond dust vas often
used TO ill the egg shells at the swell fan
dangocs given 10y the old gTandees. And
il Is done occa ,.Onally nowadays by some
of the wealth, old dons who wish to do
theShing up n style.
Another way Of filling the shells was TO
use finely T,rfumed powder, and ome
times rare and costly perfumes were used.
Very often the shells were beautifully
decorated and sometimes hand painted.
In Monterey, before the decline II the Gus
tom, the snells were often colored in fan
ciful DESIGNS, like Easter eggs, and ut 9th
er times tastefully decorated with differ
ent colors Of paper. Chopped paper and
tinsel were usually put in the shells, but
on more than one occasion gold dollar
pieces were used-one in each shell.
Spiced candy was often used. and some
times powder and perfumery. House
wives ~religiously save the shells Of all the
eggs they use and put them away until
cascarone season comes around.
In cascarOne breaking it is not neces-
sary that one should be acquainted-in
fact, il is a sort Of MASKING proceeding
all through. The act Of breaking a cas-
carone on another's head is to be consid-
cred a compliment by the recipient, who
Is in honor bound to return il at the first
opportunity. The proper way TO break
them is to crush the shell in the hand
over the persons head, allowing its con
tents TO fall on the head. In the excite
ment, however, the shell is more fire.
quently broken on the head, regardless Of
locality or force used, and is oftentimes
suggestive of anything but amiable feel
ing on the part Of the bestower. When
the ice is once broken by some adventur-
Gus maiden jr plucky man the contagion
soon spreads, and in a very short time
everybody is chasing around the room
breaking cascarones indiscriminately and
receiving them from all sides. These
mock battles usually occur between
dances. Monterey CAL Argus.